Established in 1983, the Old Mill Brewery is a small independent family owned business, housed in an 18th century former corn mill and maltings at Snaith in East Yorkshire.

Over the years the firm has branched out massively from its humble beginnings and now owns and runs a number of pubs across Yorkshire and Derbyshire including in Rotherham, Barnsley and Chesterfield.

Having sampled the delicious ales on many occasions we decided it was time to try out their food, and with the rich pickings of festive fare already starting to take their toll we thought that good old fashioned pub grub would be just what was required.

We took a drive to The Punch Bowl in Thorne, just off the M18 motorway.

Despite the hectic lunchtime trade we were greeted by friendly staff and easily found a table near a roaring log fire and began to peruse the menu.

Having spotted some of the main meals being served up to other diners we decided sharing a starter might be the way forward so opted for the calamari at £5.95, tender squid rings in a light crispy sea salt and cracked black pepper crumb served with a tartare sauce and wedges of lemon.

If I had to have any complaint I would say it was ever so slightly over-cooked but that did not detract from the flavour or the enjoyment.

For the main I selected a combo chargrilled plate of 5oz rump steak and butterfly chicken breast.

This was accompanied by hand cut chunky chips, homemade coleslaw, chargrilled corn on the cob and salad, all for £12.95.

To say it was a plateful would be an understatement.

I had asked for the steak to be cooked medium, which they got almost right, and the chicken was nice and moist.

One of my dining partners went for the 12oz gammon steak at £11.95, served with egg, pineapple, chips, field mushroom, salad and garden peas. Again, there was no shying away from portion size, and they said it was very tasty, even if they didn’t managed to clean their plate.

My third friend chose the butterfly chicken breast with bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce, we think a real bargain for £8.95.

All this was washed down with two soft drinks and a pint at a total cost of £48.50.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience but if we were to dine there again we would definitely opt for one of the many menu offers available including two meals for £12 served Monday to Saturday between noon and 5pm.